It’s not too early to book your trip into space

Are you eager to be a pioneer in space tourism? Got an extra $200,000 burning a hole in your pocket? If so, Richard Branson’s Virgin Galatic is taking reservations for 2 1/2 hour suborbital flights beginning in 2011. Each flight will feature about five minutes of weightlessness. So far, about 300 people have either paid the entire $200,000 fare or have placed a deposit of at least $20,000. The spacecraft, named SpaceShipTwo, was unveiled last week in Mojave, California. The SpaceShipTwo holds six passengers. To prove the spacecraft is safe, Richard Branson and his family will be making the first suborbital flight in the SpaceShipTwo.